Getting Started: Make a Backup

Before you start the manual migration process, make a Complete (full) Backup by going to BackupBuddy > Backup in your WordPress dashboard.

Manual Migration Methods for Sending the Backup File

After you've made the Complete (Full) backup, you can send this backup file to the new location in several different ways:

Upload to the new location through FTP

Send the backup file from BackupBuddy in the dashboard of your original site

Upload through ImportBuddy

Select the backup file you want to use from Stash

Uploading through FTP

If you chose to manually migrate through FTP, follow these instructions:

Download - Navigate to BackupBuddy > Restore/Migrate in your dashboard and download the backup file you'd like to use for the migration and a copy of the ImportBuddy script.

Downloading the ImportBuddy and backup files

Decide the Directory for the Migration - Decide the FTP directory to migrate or restore the backup to that corresponds to the web URL for your site's destination. Note: Using an empty directory is best.

For example: If you want your new site's URL to be http://your.com/mybuddy/ then your server directory MIGHT be something like this: /user/username/public_html/mybuddy/. Note: The directory structure varies host to host but often follows a similar format.

Upload - Once you've decided on the FTP directory, you will then upload the backup file (don't rename the zip file!) and a copy of your Importbuddy file to your chosen directory via FTP.

Navigate to the uploaded ImportBuddy URL - Using the example directory configuration above, navigate to http://your.com/mybuddy/importbuddy.php. ImportBuddy will then walk you through the 6 ImportBuddy Steps for Manual Migrations.

Sending from the Dashboard

Instead of manually uploading the backup file and your copy of ImportBuddy to your new server, you can send them directly from within BackupBuddy.
To send from the dashboard, follow these instructions:

Go to BackupBuddy > Restore/Migrate and click the Send ImportBuddy to a Destination button to send your ImportBuddy file to the new server.

Next, hover over the backup file you'd like to use and click the Send File link.

Clicking both the Send ImportBuddy to a Destination button and the Send File link will open your destinations window. From here, you can either create a new destination to send your files to or select from one of the remote destinations you've created previously. You can also check to Delete local backup after successful send if you'd like the file to be removed from your current server after the send.

Navigate to the uploaded ImportBuddy URL - Using your directory configuration, navigate to the location of the ImportBuddy file you just sent. Example:http://your.com/mybuddy/importbuddy.php. ImportBuddy will then walk you through the 6 ImportBuddy Steps for Manual Migrations.

Navigate to the uploaded ImportBuddy URL - Using your directory configuration, navigate to the location of the ImportBuddy file you just sent. Example:http://your.com/mybuddy/importbuddy.php. ImportBuddy will then walk you through the 6 ImportBuddy Steps for Manual Migrations.

Navigate to the uploaded ImportBuddy URL - Using your directory configuration, navigate to the location of the ImportBuddy file you just sent. Example:http://your.com/mybuddy/importbuddy.php. ImportBuddy will then walk you through the 6 ImportBuddy Steps for Manual Migrations.

The 6 ImportBuddy Steps for Manual Migrations

After navigating to the URL file location of ImportBuddy, ImportBuddy will walk you through the 6 ImportBuddy Steps for manual migrations.

Step 1: Authentication Required & Choose Your Backup File

You'll be prompted to Enter your ImportBuddy password to continue. For more information about setting your ImportBuddy password, visit the ImportBuddy Password page.

Step 1 also prompts you to choose your backup file for the migration. These file options are divided into three tabs: Server, Upload and Stash.

Server - This tab lists backup files currently on the server. Select one to use for the migration.

Upload - Upload a backup file from your computer's web browser up to this server.

Stash - Retrieve a backup file stored on BackupBuddy Stash (iThemes' cloud backup storage) and pull it to this server for restoring. Login to your Stash account and select the backup you'd like to use by clicking the Import button.

Once you've selected your Advanced Options or if you do not need to select any of these options, click Next Step.

Step 2: Unzipping Backup File

Step 2 unzips the backup file. There is nothing you need to do for this step. Just select Next Step once the extraction has completed.

Step 3: URL and Database Settings

Step 3 is where you will enter the database settings for the new location.

URL Settings

WordPress Address - This is the address where you want the final WordPress site you are restoring / migrating to reside. Ex: http://foo.com/wp

Use optional custom site address (Home URL)? - OPTIONAL. This is also known as the site address. This is the home address

where your main site resides. This may differ from your WordPress URL. For example: http://foo.com

Database Settings

These settings control where your backed up database will be restored to. If you are restoring to the same server, the settings below will import the database to your existing WordPress database location, overwriting your existing WordPress database already on the server. If you are moving to a new host you will need to create a database to import into. The database settings MUST be unique for each WordPress installation. If you use the same settings for multiple WordPress installations then all blog content and settings will be shared, causing conflicts!

MySQL Server - This is the address to the mySQL server where your database will be stored. 99% of the time this is localhost. The location of your mySQL server will be provided to you by your host if it differs.

Database Name - This is the name of the database you want to import your blog into. The database user must have permissions to be able to access this database. If you are migrating this blog to a new host you will need to create this database (ie using CPanel or phpmyadmin) and create a mysql database user with permissions.

Database User - This is the database user account that has permission to access the database name in the input above. This user must be given permission to this database for the import to work.

Database Pass - This is the password for the database user.

Database Prefix - This is the prefix given to all tables in the database. If you are cloning the site on the same server AND the same database name then you will want to change this or else the imported database will overwrite the existing tables.

Creating a Database through cPanel

If you haven't set up a database for the new location, but have access to cPanel for the new site, you can create your new database in ImportBuddy's Step 3.

Once you've entered all the new database information or created your new database, you will need to test the settings before you can move on to the next step.

If the test is successful, you will be able to move on to Step 4. If the test fails, however, verify all of your database settings are correct and run the test again.

Step 4: Database Import

Step 4 imports the database information into the database of your new site. Once the import is completed, click the Next Step button.

Step 5: Database Migration

Step 5 updates all of the URLs, paths, etc. on your site to match your new site. Before you move to the final step, be sure to go to your new site and check all of your links to ensure they have changed. Once you've tested your new site, you can move to the final step.

Step 6: Final Cleanup

Step 6 removes any temporary files from your new site that were used for the migration. Your site will then be ready at the URL indicated on this page.